College Football Week 2 Picks

The Longhorns, just as they were following last season's intoxicating Rose
Bowl victory, are No. 1.

Regardless of what Tressel did or didn't do, or the bullet Ohio State Director
of Player Development Stan Jefferson was willing to take in order to "protect"
his boss, the only thing that matters is what goes down Saturday night at
Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.

The Buckeyes come in ranked tops in the country. Texas, despite Tressel's
supposed affinity for it, will have to limp in well aware of the ignominy of
being slotted way, way down...at No. 2.

All kidding aside, in a weekend of pretty big matchups, none get any bigger
than this one. So, without further ado, let us look at some of the more
intriguing games -- with the best leading off.

No. 1 Ohio State (+2.5) at No. 2 Texas (over/under 50.5): The Buckeyes entered
this season with more hype than they probably deserved. With quarterback Troy
Smith and receiver/return man Ted Ginn Jr., they have the potential to put up
some points. However, the heart and soul of their team from last season -- the
one which embarrassed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and created all the
current hullabaloo -- left with the departure of linebackers A.J. Hawk and
Bobby Carpenter.

The question is -- will their departures affect Ohio State as much as Vince
Young's exit will affect Texas? Colt McCoy was OK in his first start as
Young's replacement, but there is no replicating what the Longhorns' former
signal-caller meant to the program. He threw for 270 yards and two scores in
last year's 25-22 Texas win at Columbus. He also ran for another 76 yards.

The pick -- Ohio State plus the points.

No. 19 Penn State (+8) at No. 4 Notre Dame (47): The teams haven't faced each
other since 1992, but faithful followers of both have maintained the "rivalry"
the entire time -- which is why you get something as silly as a sportswriter
at a well-known paper who covers the Nittany Lions stating that Notre Dame
quarterback/Heisman favorite Brady Quinn isn't as good as Ohio State's Troy
Smith.

PSU is loaded on both sides of the ball, more so than the Irish. What
separates the two in this one falls under home-field advantage and experience,
the kind Quinn has over the Lions' Anthony Morelli, a gifted thrower who will
be making only his second collegiate start. The points, though, are too many.

The pick -- Penn State plus the points.

No. 12 Georgia (-3) at South Carolina (39): The Bulldogs weren't overly
impressive in beating up on Western Kentucky last week, but return man Mikey
Henderson proved that he could be a one-man highlight reel, taking one punt 64
yards before fumbling it into the end zone and then another 67 yards for six
points less than a minute later. Steve Spurrier and Co., meanwhile, got rave
reviews for "handling" Mississippi State, 15-0. The question is...why?

In short, both SEC squads have a lot to prove. This isn't like the days of
Herschel Walker trying to outduel George Rogers.

The pick -- Play the over.

No. 18 Clemson (-2.5) at Boston College (43): Perhaps one of these two can beat the other and make the jump from quality to elite status, the kind
reserved for the likes of ACC rivals Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech.
The Tigers always seem to be the sexy pick to break the mold and make some
serious noise but never do.

Check out BC linebacker Brian Toal. The junior made seven tackles last week,
scored a touchdown while playing offense and made the game-clinching
interception in the final minute.

The pick -- Play the over.

No. 20 Oregon (-4) at Fresno State (54): The Bulldogs remain a dangerous
proposition for any program from a big-name conference. Oregon held on for a
37-34 victory last season in Eugene, covering a 2 1/2-point spread. Fresno is
17-5 against the spread vs. Pac-10 teams since 1992 and 65-18 straight up at
home.

Both teams appear to be powered by strong running games and solid defenses.
The Ducks got 168 rushing yards and two TDs from Jonathan Stewart in last
week's 48-10 waffling of Stanford. The Bulldogs got 158 and three from Dwayne
Wright, a 1,000-yard runner in '03 who hadn't played since Sept. 11, 2004.

The pick -- Play the over.

To check out Nine.com's futures football odds, click here.

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